The Winners of the Spoken Lanuage Processing Student Travel Grant are announced.

The complete technical program is now available, including a new initiative of Thematic Symposia and Overview Talks.

Important Dates

Tutorial Proposals Due

August 4, 2008

Special Session Proposals Due

August 4, 2008

Notification of Special Session & Tutorial Acceptance

September 8, 2008

Submission of Regular Papers

September 29, 2008

Notification of Acceptance (by email)

December 15, 2008

Student or Young Researcher Travel Grant Application

January 15, 2009

Show and Tell Proposal Deadline

January 15, 2009

Revised Paper Upload Deadline

23:59 January 18, 2009 (Central US Time)

Student or Young Researcher Travel Grant Letters of Recommendation

January 22, 2009

Author's Registration Deadline

February 2, 2009

Advance Registration Rates Expire

March 16, 2009

Formosa — the Beautiful Island of Taiwan

Formerly called “Formosa” or the beautiful island by the Europeans, the island of Taiwan is located in the Pacific Ocean off the southeast coast of China, separated by the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has a dense population of over 23 million people. Taiwan is endowed with a wide variety of breathtaking natural scenery, from the sublime marble cliffs of Taroko Gorge to the coral reefs and beaches of Kenting. Taiwan is full of beautiful high mountains, with more than 100 peaks above 3,000 m elevation above the sea level. The island is also rich in rare species of wild birds.

Taiwan hosts the world's largest suppliers of notebook PCs, motherboards, and liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors. Taiwan's eight major IT products include in addition desktop PCs, servers, digital still cameras (DSCs), optical disk drives, and color display tube (CDT) monitors. More than 82.6% of households in Taiwan have computers. Internet users are about 60.2% of the island's population, while the mobile phone penetration rate reaches over 99%. People of Taiwan have made it a national goal to construct a green silicon island, promoting the development of information and electronics technologies as well as industry while preserving the beautiful natural resources. For further information, please click here.

Taipei

Taipei is located in northern Taiwan, covering 271.8 square kilometers. Its population is approximated at 2.62 million people. ferme As the capital of Republic of China (Taiwan), Taipei is a vibrant blend of traditional culture and cosmopolitan life. People are certain to have an unforgettable experience in this remarkable city. For further information, please go to the following website of Taipei City government:
http://english.taipei.gov.tw/TCG/index.jsp

Transportation to Taipei

There are more than 42 international airlines offering services from more than 58 major cities worldwide to Taipei. There are more than 230 flights per week from North American cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, etc. to Taipei, many of which are non-stop. There are more than 70 flights per week from European cities such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Paris solitaire, Rome, Vienna, Zurich, etc. to Taipei, including many non-stop flights. Transportation from Asia Pacific cities such as Auckland, Bangkok, Brisbane, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, etc. are even more convenient.

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, located in Taoyuan County approximately 40 kilometers, or about 50 minutes by car or bus from downtown Taipei. At the moment, there are two terminals connected by shuttle buses.

Local Transportation

Taoyuan International Airport is roughly 50 min drive from the TICC/Hyatt conference venue., Airport buses, hotel limousines and taxis offer convenient transportation to the conference venue or any other hotels. The Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) system (http://www.trtc.com.tw/e/), bus system and taxis provide convenient transportation within the Taipei city.

Climate

Taipei has a subtropical climate, with an average temperature of 22°C (72°) in the day time and cooler at night in April. Delegates are recommended to bring a light jacket. For further information, please refer to the website of the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan: http://www.cwb.gov.tw/V5e/index.htm.

Currency

The monetary unit is the New Taiwan dollar (NT$). The exchange rate in recent months has been approximately NT$30.16 for US$1 (Please notice that this is subject to changes). Foreign currency can be exchanged at most banks, hotels, department stores and international airports. For different currencies, please go visit the Currency web individually.

Language

Mandarin Chinese is the official language in Taiwan though other dialects are also spoken. Many people can speak some English, which is the most widely studied foreign language.

Power Supply

The power supply for electricity is AC 110 Volts/ 60 Hz. Power outlets only accept flat two-parallel pin plugs, type A. Please bring your own electrical outlet adapter to adjust the AC plug on your equipment. Participants from areas with different currents may bring a transformer to operate the electrical appliances.

Liability and Insurance

The Organizing Committee will endeavor to provide an enjoyable conference. However, neither the Organizing Committee nor the Organizer accepts any liability whatsoever for any injury, illness, damage or loss suffered by an attendee during his/her stay in Taiwan. Participants are advised to take out their own comprehensive travel insurance in their respective countries.

About Taipei

Taipei is located in northern Taiwan, covering 271.8 square kilometers. Its population has been approximated at 2.62 million people. As the capital of the Republic of China, Taipei is a vibrant blend of traditional culture and cosmopolitan life. People are certain to have an unforgettable experience in this remarkable city. For further information, please refer to the website of the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan.

Traffic

Taoyuan (CKS) International Airport is about 40 KM South of Taipei. Public Shuttle Bus and taxi are available to travel from CKS to Taipei city at the airport, and it costs around US$50 (NT$1200) by taxi. English Taxi Association: 886-2-2799-7997.

Climate

Taipei has a subtropical climate, with an average temperature of 22°C (72°F) in the day time and cooler at night in April. Delegates are recommended to bring a light jacket. For further information, please refer to the website of the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan.

Currency

The monetary unit is the New Taiwan dollar (NT$). The exchange rate in recent months has been approximately NT$33 for US$1. Foreign currency can be exchanged at most banks, hotels, departm ent stores and international airports. For different currencies, please visit the Currency web.

Visas are required to enter Taiwan except for the countries where visa-exempt entry applies, and can be obtained from R.O.C. embassies, consulates, or designated representative offices in visitors’ native countries. For more information on visa requirements, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Power Supply

The power supply for electricity is AC 110 Volts/ 60 Hz. Power outlets only accept flat two-parallel pin plugs, type A. Please bring your own electrical outlet adapter to adjust the AC plug on your equipment. Participants from areas with different currents may bring a transformer to operate the electrical appliances.

Liability and Insurance

The Organizing Committee will endeavor to provide an enjoyable conference. However, neither the Organizing Committee nor the Organizer accepts any liability whatsoever for any injury, illness, damage or loss suffered by an attendee during his/her stay in Taiwan. Participants are advised to take out their own comprehensive travel insurance in their respective countries.